More damaging to the GOP:Santorum also criticized the libertarian wing of the Republican party for not supporting what he sees as the pillars of conservatism: religion and family.

"When it comes to conservatism libertarian types can say, oh, well you know, we don't want to talk about social issues," Santorum said. "Without the church and the family, there is no conservative movement, there is no basic values of America."

The fiscal conservative/social moderates just stood up and walked out of the room, shaking their heads and mumbling.

"When it comes to conservatism libertarian types can say, oh, well you know, we don't want to talk about social issues," Santorum said. "Without the church and the family, there is no conservative movement, there is no basic values of America."

Santorum also criticized the libertarian wing of the Republican party for not supporting what he sees as the pillars of conservatism: religion and family.

"When it comes to conservatism libertarian types can say, oh, well you know, we don't want to talk about social issues," Santorum said. "Without the church and the family, there is no conservative movement, there is no basic values of America."

The fiscal conservative/social moderates just stood up and walked out of the room, shaking their heads and mumbling.

If only they had.

Instead, they did what they always do - they doubled down on the willful ignorance and antio-intellectualism of their party in order to make political points.

"We will never have the media on our side, ever, in this country," Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, told the audience at the Omni Shoreham hotel. "We will never have the elite, smart people on our side."

dramboxf:Benevolent Misanthrope: Instead, they did what they always do - they doubled down on the willful ignorance and antio-intellectualism of their party in order to make political points.

That, apparently, by their own admission, are beyond the grasp of their intended audience.

Well - by "make political points" I meant "enable the mainstreaming of the batshiat crazy element of their party so as not to piss them off enough for them to split off and therefore lose their votes". But I couldn't think how to put it in a coherent way. Derperism doesn't lend itself to reasoned discourse.

Santorum also criticized the libertarian wing of the Republican party for not supporting what he sees as the pillars of conservatism: religion and family.

"When it comes to conservatism libertarian types can say, oh, well you know, we don't want to talk about social issues," Santorum said. "Without the church and the family, there is no conservative movement, there is no basic values of America."

The fiscal conservative/social moderates just stood up and walked out of the room, shaking their heads and mumbling.

Rush Limbaugh... a pillar of family values and a centerpiece for the "conservative" GOP. Good call, Santorum.

Why is being smart an "elite" quality? Anybody can go to college and be smart. Hell, you SHOULD go to college and be smart. If anything, I would equate "rich" to "elite", since well, there's a lot less of those.

SineSwiper:Why is being smart an "elite" quality? Anybody can go to college and be smart. Hell, you SHOULD go to college and be smart. If anything, I would equate "rich" to "elite", since well, there's a lot less of those.

Benevolent Misanthrope:SineSwiper: Why is being smart an "elite" quality? Anybody can go to college and be smart. Hell, you SHOULD go to college and be smart. If anything, I would equate "rich" to "elite", since well, there's a lot less of those.

Since when does being smart necessarily mean "elite?" By standardized test standards I'm fairly smart but I'm sure as hell not "elite." Yet if I ventured into a conservative conversation and suggested that maybe universal health care is a fundamentally sound idea as demonstrated by the rest of the West, I'd be an "elitist." Seriously, "elitist" is second only to "fag" as the go-to Republican insult when confronted by anything. Even a breeze going in the wrong direction.

The greatest trick the GOP has ever pulled is getting rubes to believe that anyone who has a different religious or political opinion is automatically an "elitist" and not worth engaging in debate, thus sparing them the trouble of being exposed to ideas contrary to what bounces inside the bubble.

Coco LaFemme:Benevolent Misanthrope: SineSwiper: Why is being smart an "elite" quality? Anybody can go to college and be smart. Hell, you SHOULD go to college and be smart. If anything, I would equate "rich" to "elite", since well, there's a lot less of those.

College is not a prerequisite for intelligence, you know.

George W. Bush went to Harvard and Yale. So.....yeah.

After I hit "Add Comment", I realized I should have added, "and intelligence DAMN sure is not a prerequisite for college."

Do people other than the lunatic fringe over at Fox News still truly think there's a "liberal media"? And if Hollywood is really full of liberals then pay them what they want to make your conservative propaganda movies because you conservatives suck at filmmaking. Christ, if I made "The Last Ounce of Courage" when I was in film school I would have been stuck editing gay porn for Santorum's private stash.

dickfreckle:Seriously, "elitist" is second only to "fag" as the go-to Republican insult when confronted by anything.

It's called republican projection. The 1% is trying to get everyone else to vote against their interests by calling the educated the "elite" and making the word some sort of slur. But you don't have to be educated to earn the "elite" moniker, you can also be part of the liberal Hollywood cabal. It's basically a "we are one of you" type ploy. And it's sad. Although it's sadder that it actually works to the point that this race is a lot closer than it should be.

Any good totalitarianism starts off with a campaign against the intelligent and educated and with some good, solid call for patriotism/nationalism and an unquestionable ideology (god, tax cuts, Darwian social structure and family [code for anti-gay], anyone?).

Santorum is very self confident that he is the best of America while, in fact, being a representative of some of the worst of America: anti-science, anti-education, anti-critical thought, anti-enlightenment, anti-freedom of religion, reactionary, unable to see the point of investments in society, and while wearing the badge of Christianity, wanting society to do as little as possible to help the needy.

Do people other than the lunatic fringe over at Fox News still truly think there's a "liberal media"? And if Hollywood is really full of liberals then pay them what they want to make your conservative propaganda movies because you conservatives suck at filmmaking. Christ, if I made "The Last Ounce of Courage" when I was in film school I would have been stuck editing gay porn for Santorum's private stash.

I would say so...The Republicans will hold the House and may take the Senate. So, yes, I would say tens of millions of Americans are still drinking that Kool-Aid.

SineSwiper:Why is being smart an "elite" quality? Anybody can go to college and be smart. Hell, you SHOULD go to college and be smart. If anything, I would equate "rich" to "elite", since well, there's a lot less of those.

Yeah, no. I know a few people that graduated from college and are still pretty goddamn dumb.

WorldCitizen:I would say so...The Republicans will hold the House and may take the Senate. So, yes, I would say tens of millions of Americans are still drinking that Kool-Aid.

Yes, Obama will get elected again and the congress will still belong to the republicans so it will be the same republican obstructionist shiat as last term. But at the very least we won't have a President who will feel the need to invade 2 or 3 countries to serve his masters. And we won't have a President who is a complete moron.

WorldCitizen:The Republicans will hold the House and may take the Senate.

They are both very much up in the air. The national tracking polls suggest the Democrats might actually have a shot at the House, though it's remote, and the GOP has done everything they possibly could and more besides to throw away what should have been the easiest capture of the Senate in history. It's beginning to look like the Senate might hold.

Santorum also criticized the libertarian wing of the Republican party for not supporting what he sees as the pillars of conservatism: religion and family.

"When it comes to conservatism libertarian types can say, oh, well you know, we don't want to talk about social issues," Santorum said. "Without the church and the family, there is no conservative movement, there is no basic values of America."

The fiscal conservative/social moderates just stood up and walked out of the room, shaking their heads and mumbling.

That is a seriously scary line of thinking though. "If it wasn't for the threat of eternal hellfire, there would be nothing stopping me from raping and killing you, your family and every pet you have in a Satanic ritual I saw on a Kiss album cover once."

Mugato:That is a seriously scary line of thinking though. "If it wasn't for the threat of eternal hellfire, there would be nothing stopping me from raping and killing you, your family and every pet you have in a Satanic ritual I saw on a Kiss album cover once."

/this is what conservatives actually believe

no, that's what authoritarians believe. religious authoritarians justify their contempt for humanity by saying it's only the threat of eternal hellfire that keeps us all in line. secular atheists can be just as authoritarian, believing that only strict social controls keep everyone in line. the end result is the same: authoritarians believe that every facet of our lives MUST be controlled or we'll all run rampant in a riot of rape, theft and death. it's a very negative view of people, and a very fearful way to live.